Hello,

My name is Merijn van Willigen. I am a senior lecturer in Sports Coaching at the University of Roehampton, where I started in 2017, having previously worked in a similar capacity at the University of Winchester. My interest is mostly in performance coaching. I currently work within the talent pathway for England Hockey; and I am head-coach to Chichester Men’s Hockey Club who play in the National Hockey League. Prior to coming to Roehampton, I worked as a Head of Hockey at a large independent school in Portsmouth, and I have a developing interest in coaching children in sport.

This interest is further fed by the fact that I have two young children – Ethan (9) and Amy (7) [see picture], who are themselves starting to become involved in sport. As a result I spend a lot of time on the sidelines watching kids be coached, and I am not always that impressed with what I see.